A long time ago in medieval Spain, there were three great religious leaders. Saladin was the leader of Muslims. Don Pedro led the Christians. And, the Jews were led by Ephraim Santzi. These leaders wanted to know which of their faiths was the true religion of the one God. Ephraim, in an attempt to answer the question and not offend his colleagues, responded with a story.

Babies, babies, babies! It seems like I’m learning of a new birth or pregnancy daily. I love hearing these couples’ good news, celebrating with them, witnessing the love and excitement, hope and anticipation of discovering who these new souls will become and what their future accomplishments will be. Each new baby brings new opportunities, new possibilities, new joys.

What's Jacki Bell's one piece of advice for young families? Be patient! "Kids are really smart, so often times I can talk through an issue with my 3 year old. Plus, it's all a phase and they don't last long." Meet Jackie and her family now:

He lied to me. Yep, that’s right. A person I looked up to and admired lied straight to my face. At first, I was pretty ticked off. Then, I felt disappointed. Later, I was just plain sad. I’m not really sure how to process this. I want to resolve my feelings, but am finding it difficult to get past this moment.

Last year around Chanukah, Rebecca Kopp Levine noticed that despite interest in Jewish traditions amongst teachers at her son’s day care in Westlake, there were no other Jewish families and very little knowledge of such traditions within the school.

Leah Kasmenn is the new Manager of Young Family Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. She grew up in Jewish Cleveland and is excited to be part of the community. Leah has two quirky cats, Bert & Auggie and is getting married in 2018. She’s a big fan of all that Cleveland has to offer!

Joel and Ashley Gabelman of Cleveland Heights love being a part of Jewish Cleveland. They enjoy spending time around the city, taking walks with their two sons and dog as well as quiet reading time at home. Both Joel and Ashley are also recent alumni of YLD’s LEADS program, where they’ve been able to enhance their leadership skills.

If you don’t know your history, you don’t know where you are going,” said one of the participants as we were seated together in a circle. Twenty couples with diverse backgrounds, faiths and practices. Some have children. Some do not. But what we all have in common is some connection to Judaism and a desire to learn so we can figure out the next steps to our own personal journeys.

Chances are, your preschooler isn’t an expert on Rosh Hashanah celebrations (they’ve only been alive for a few of them so far). But it’s never too early to teach them about the traditions that make Rosh Hashanah so special!

Andy and Taryn Isaacs of University Heights love being a part of Jewish Cleveland. From hanging out at the JCC pool with their two children to enjoying the food at the various delis around town, the Isaacs enjoy the many choices for spending time in the city.